Innovative health technology

UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 3 is ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’. However, across the globe, health care is facing considerable challenges, partly because of population growth, but also because of increasing life expectancy. Due to improved standards of living, we are living longer and longer, and therefore seeing an increase in chronic, age-related, and lifestyle-related diseases.

The world therefore needs technological solutions to many of the major health challenges as well as effective vaccines and medical treatments which are tailored to the individual patient.

At DTU, we develop technology for people. We conduct interdisciplinary research in close cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry and the Danish health service to make the most of the technological advances—for example within genome sequencing, sensor technology, big data, medical imaging, and drug delivery—in order to diagnose patients early, and to provide effective treatments tailored to the individual patient and thereby provide more efficient and effective health care.

Articles on health technology

The health service is under pressure due to increased lifestyle diseases, an ageing population, and demands for better treatment, and DTU is actively participating in the struggle to find solutions to these challenges. Read much more about this in our collection of articles on health technology and DTU’s work within this area.

The Oticon Centre of Excellence for Hearing and Speech Sciences (CHeSS) is expanding with new laboratories for audiovisual research.

Health technology research grants

DKK 10 million from Novo Nordisk Foundation for signal molecule research

Together with a research group from DTU, Rune Busk Damgaard has received a grant to research signal molecules that regulate the meta-
bolism of cancer cells. “ If we can understand this on a biochemical level then we have the opportunity, in the long run, to manipulate it and utilize it to turn the growth of cancer cells on or off,” says Rune.

The ‘LundTech’ team, which has invented a high-tech patch with integrated sensors that can measure movement abnormalities in Parkinson’s patients, received DKK 30,000 and won first prize in DTU Skylab’s Open Innovation X final 2018.

The VulCur MedTech start-up, which is run by students from DTU and UCPH, has developed medical equipment for treating chronic wounds, winning it the first prize of DKK 100,000 at the Venture Cup National Startup Competition 2018.

Sleeve warns of potentially deadly diseases

Students have developed a sensor sleeve that offers an early warning system for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as motor neurone disease. Paragit Solutions was recognized by DTU as student start-up of the year, won first place in the Best Overall Innovation at the Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge 2018, and has also received offers from US investors who want to invest USD 5 million in the company. Read more here.

Interdisciplinary cooperation

DTU is cooperating to solve challenges facing society

CACHET is a strategic collaboration between Capital Region of Denmark, The City of Copenhagen, DTU, and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at UCPH. Together they will develop and test health technologies that benefit citizens with chronic illnesses.

Technology for people

DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear vision to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That vision lives on today.